For Planners, Safety Officers, and Supervisors For Protecting Responders Following a Nuclear Detonation December 2016 Health and Safety Planning Guide for Protecting Responders Following a Nuclear Detonation FOREWORD TO THIS DOCUMENT As the Interagency Policy Coordination Subcommittee for Preparedness and Response to Radiological and Nuclear Threats was completing the “Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation” (Second Edition, June 2010), it became evident that additional guidance for protecting responders following a nuclear detonation was necessary. Guidance is needed to provide information for the needs of the responders themselves, as well as emergency planners. Both approaches are integral to the safety of responders who will put their lives and health in jeopardy for the public good. This guidance is a supplement to the “Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation”. It is intended for planners, safety officers and supervisors of responders to assist in the preparation for health and safety management in the event of a successful improvised nuclear device (IND) event. This guidance defines “responders” as a diverse set of individuals who are critical to mitigating the potential catastrophic effects of an IND. This broad definition includes professional and traditional first responders (e.g., emergency medical services practitioners, firefighters, law enforcement, and hazardous material (HAZMAT) personnel); the emergency management community; public health and medical professionals; skilled support personnel; and emergency service and critical infrastructure personnel. Responders may be from government, volunteer, or private sector organizations. It is important to note that these responders may face a variety of hazards in addition to radiation, so health and safety planning and preparedness efforts need to protect all responders from all hazards. Appendix A of this document includes a “Quick Reference Guide” that can be used as part of a training program for responders as part of an overall preparedness program, as well as a reference at the scene of an event. The “Quick Reference Guide” is focused on the hazards and precautions associated with radiation. This document was approved for publication by the National Security Council led Domestic Readiness Group on 17 November 2016. Health and Safety Planning Guide for Protecting Responders Following a Nuclear Detonation Health and Safety Planning Guide for Protecting First Responders Following a Nuclear Detonation Table of Contents ACRONYMS.. ............................................................................................................................................. 6 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 8 2. INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM .............................................................................................. 13 3. OVERVIEW OF A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION ............................................................................ 15 4. THE EARLY PHASE OF RESPONSE ........................................................................................ 17 5. THE ZONED APPROACH TO NUCLEAR DETONATION RESPONSE .............................. 18 6. HEALTH EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION .................................................................... 28 7. RESPONDER SAFETY ................................................................................................................. 36 8. MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................... 45 9. DECONTAMINATION ................................................................................................................. 49 10. EMERGENCY PLAN FOR RESPONSE PERSONNEL ............................................................ 51 11. SITE CONTROL ............................................................................................................................ 52 12. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ................................................................................ 54 13. RADIATION DETECTION AND AIR MONITORING EQUIPMENT................................... 56 14. TRAINING ...................................................................................................................................... 59 15. COMMUNICATIONS .................................................................................................................... 63 16. RECORDKEEPING ....................................................................................................................... 64 Appendix A: Radiation ........................................................................................................................... A-1 Appendix B: Hazardous Substances ..................................................................................................... B-1 Appendix C: Confined Spaces ............................................................................................................... C-1 Appendix D: Heavy Equipment ............................................................................................................. D-1 Appendix E: Hazardous Energy Control .............................................................................................. E-1 Appendix F: Falls (Surface) ................................................................................................................... F-1 Appendix G: Fires ................................................................................................................................... G-1 Appendix H: Explosions ......................................................................................................................... H-1 Appendix I: Working at Height .............................................................................................................. I-1 Appendix J: Welding and Cutting .......................................................................................................... J-1 Appendix K: Trenching and Excavation .............................................................................................. K-1 Appendix L: Demolition ......................................................................................................................... L-1 Appendix M: Vehicular ......................................................................................................................... M-1 4 Health and Safety Planning Guide for Protecting Responders Following a Nuclear Detonation Appendix N: Water (High or Deep) ...................................................................................................... N-2 Appendix O: Noise .................................................................................................................................. O-1 Appendix P: Personal Protective Equipment Overview ...................................................................... P-1 Appendix Q: NFPA Responder Competence Standard ...................................................................... Q-1 Figures and Tables Figure 5-1: Damage Zones ................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 5-2: The Overlapping Nature of the Damage Zones with the Fallout Pattern .................... 21 Figure 5-3: Understanding the Relationship between the Zones ...................................................... 24 Figure 5-4: The Effect of Changing Winds and Radioactive Decay on the Fallout Zones after Several Hours .................................................................................................................... 24 Table 5-1: Example of Dose Rate Decay over Time Following a Nuclear Explosion ..................... 27 Table 6-1: Approximate Health Effects after Short-Term Radiation Exposure ............................ 34 Table 6-2: Probability of Acute Radiation Syndrome ....................................................................... 35 Table 6-3: Fatal Cancer Risk .............................................................................................................. 35 Table 7-1: Responder Dose Guidelines in the Early Phase ............................................................... 40 Table 7-2: Rules of Thumb for Responders ....................................................................................... 44 Table 12-1: Selection of PPE for Responders Exposed to Multiple Hazards .................................... 55 Federal Interagency Members & Acknowledgments………...……………….…………………………………………114 5 Health and Safety Planning Guide for Protecting Responders Following a Nuclear Detonation ACRONYMS ALARA As Low As Reasonably Achievable APR Air-Purifying Respirator ARS Acute Radiation Syndrome, a.k.a. Radiation Sickness Bq Becquerel Ci Curie CBRNE Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive DF Dangerous Fallout (zone) DPM Disintegrations per Minute DPS Disintegrations per Second DHS Department of Homeland Security EMP Electromagnetic Pulse EMS Emergency Medical Services EMT Emergency Medical Technician ERHMS Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance Gy Gray HAZMAT Hazardous Material HAZWOPER Hazardous Waste Operations HEPA High Efficiency Particulate Air IC Incident Commander ICS Incident Command System IND Improvised Nuclear Device KI Potassium Iodine KT Kiloton LD Light Damage (zone) LEL Lower Explosive Limit MD Moderate